He explained: “There are teams and OEMs that have been in FE for a long time and they were successful and have the learning curve.

“We haven’t got all that – we had a learning year with HWA, with not all the resource that is needed to make it successful, so we very much see season six now as an entry point for Mercedes and we don’t take it for granted, to play a role in the leading pack.

“That will come over time. If we surprise ourselves and we are able to score highlights – being in the top five, going onto the podium – I would be delighted.